Tateyama

Finally, the reason for coming all the way to Toyama in the first place. I woke up around 5:00AM, grabbed my things and went down for a quick shower. Seeing that I still had some time to spare, I ate some onigiris before heading out in the cool morning.

The town was quiet but there was already some light, with the sound of chirping birds not too far off. I felt good, grateful that I wasn't too sick or tired. I felt confident that I was going to pull this off, though my throat was definitely still not feeling well.

A train to Toyama and a long bus ride going straight to Murodo with a stopover at a nearby 7/11 allowed me to get more meals in before the climb. Just meditated on some mantras, trying to get whatever strength I could. Tateyama was quite special, having its own faith and mandala showcasing the journey to enlightenment.

I was expecting to see some autumn foliage but unfortunately, the world had different plans. The snow from yesterday completely covered everything and turned the mountain into a winter wonderland. The good news, it was beautiful. Bad news, I didn't have the gear nor was I prepared to do a winter snow hike. Upon alighting the bus at Murodo, I immediately felt the cold dry air harshly scraping my throat. I quickly went out to find the trailhead, using my jacket to cover my nose and just realizing my folly at how difficult this hike was going to be.

I went past most of the sights and immediately began the hike, there weren't that many people and I found that I had the whole mountain to myself after a while, and by mountain, I meant the whole alpine range.

The landscapes were surreal, I thought I was on another planet or perhaps Switzerland. But the weather made things ethereal and so otherworldly. I pushed forward step by step, and soon enough my poor body got used to the strain, including my throat so I just went with it and hoped it would be alright the next day. Keeping it moist with some honey and replenishing it with some meds throughout the trek.

There were several checkpoints throughout with amazing vistas, I picked a spot and partook in some onigiri and bananas before continuing on to the next one. My vision was a bit strained, I should have brought sunglasses. It was a good thing it was cloudy or else the snow would have been blinding. As I said, I definitely wasn't prepared for this hike.

I made it to the first landmark, Oyama Shrine which the guy manning the hostel said, most people just reach this point before turning back. But not me, I had to at least reach the highest point in the Tateyama Mountain range so I continued onwards, to Onanjiyama's peak. This time, it was much more challenging, the snow was deeper and the path less trodden, but since I was still going up, I managed. Though I was worried about the descent.

Reaching Onanjiyama was great, finally, the highest point meaning half the struggle was over. Now comes the decision, to continue the circuit or head down the same way. I didn't see many people going out further, but from the distance a tiny silhouette of someone doing the roundabout. That was enough to instill some confidence in me to do the whole trip. I asked some other hikers heading the opposite way if they saw anyone else, and they said they encountered someone 20 minutes ago, though they warned me that it would be difficult as they looked at my crampon-less shoes.

I was doing a lot of mental gymnastics: "I was able to do Hallasan just fine without crampons, and I was able to do Mt. Fuji in a day so theoretically, I should be able to do Tateyama just fine." Well, in the end, I think the decision was made even the day before the hike so I still went for it with a newfound determination in my stride.

The hike's difficulty took a massive turn, I found myself constantly slipping, my hands going into the snow, and ice getting in my shoes. Once was alright but after the tenth time or so, they started to accumulate and my body's heat with it. It was a good thing it wasn't a windy day. This continued on for hours, the landscapes becoming much more rugged yet pristine as I went around the circuit, at one point reaching a completely snowladen mountain.

The last few kilometers of the descent proved to be the most challenging part of the hike and I found myself slipping every few steps which was really frustrating, no matter how much I tried to stop myself, I would still slip! Finally reaching the flats at the bottom was a huge relief, and yet I found myself on the short end of the stick as I realized there was only 1 bus left that day and I had to catch it or else I'd be stuck.

I was contemplating the whole time to go for an onsen and was so tempted to warm up but it didn't seem like I would have the time and went pass it. Though stopping by to get awesome reflection shots of Mirugaike was great!

Relieved that I made it back to the main station, a kind gentleman tried to help me get things sorted out but it turned out there were still some more buses running that day so everything turned out just fine. I got 3 vegetable buns and finished two before getting on the bus that took us to Bijodaira where I took a cable car back to Tateyama. From there, a train back to Toyama and then a transfer to Takaoka.

Back in Takaoka, I felt good, powerful even. Energetic, happy, and confident. I freakin' did it. What an adventure, what a ride, what a thrill to have accomplished such a thing. The walk back to the hostel was one filled with joy and the look on the hostel's receptionist's face when I told him I still did the whole circuit was hilarious. His mouth was gaping open as he asked "Was there a lot of snow?" "Was it difficult without crampons?" Yes and yes, my friend it was definitely that but hey I'm here.

As I was eating my last vegetable bun, Mei showed up again. I felt bad for not being too friendly last night so I invited her to sit next to me and we talked for about a half hour or so before she had to make a call. It was short but I had a lot of fun, we shared some laughs and some introspective conversation. I said goodbye and was so excited to take a shower and get some much-needed rest.Read more